Pansy's Potion
by angelbreaker
Summary: When Pansy finds Draco and Hermione in a quiet corner, she jumps to conclusions, and decides to get that girl once and for all. She concocts an awful plan...and a worse potion...but wait a minute...that wasn't supposed to happen...
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: New story, yay! I like this story…but it's a bit weird. I'd love to know what you think about it. I think I'll add the first few chapters to start with, because I'm bored and have written them. So enjoy!

Chapter One 

Malfoy scowled into the mirror. He hated his hair; there must be something they could do about it. He glared at the wizard-barber, who was hovering by the door to the back room, and shot him a cold and dangerous smile. "I hate it." He stated and the barber looked as if he had been sentenced to execution, which was possible; Malfoy toyed with ideas in his head.

"It's how you've always had it, sir." The wizard gripped his wand and played with the end.

"And I want it changed." He glared at the mirror again. "First, get rid of the wax." What had he been thinking? The wax made his head look like a snooker ball. He nodded as the wax was magically taken away and his hair hung loose in his face. "Shorten it." This was done slowly. He concentrated... "Stop." He examined the new style, it wasn't a whole lot shorter, just a few centimetres, it made if flopped slightly in his eyes, he liked it. "Good, you may go." The barber bowed low and hurried into the back room.

Malfoy yawned. It wasn't the first time he had sent adults scurrying from his presence, it came with the name. He stepped out into the Hogsmeade sun and scowled. Ergh, he hated sun, it made one hot and bothered, and, he shivered, sweaty. He preferred the night, when it was dark and cold, that was the proper weather, not this bright, horrible la-de-de, birds singing, are we all from toon-town crap.

It was too noisy as well, Hogwarts kids were running around, setting off No-heat fireworks, and laughing. It was all too much for him. He went to the three broomsticks to cool off. Positioning himself at the bar he asked Rosa for a butterbeer, when it came, he wandered over to the back of the pub to find a table to himself.

When he had found a suitably private one, he sat down and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Occasionally sipping his butterbeer, he sat in a blissfully thoughtless silence. A while later he heard little sniffs coming from the table next to him. Annoyed that someone broke his silence, he went to investigate.

It was the Mudblood Granger. She was sitting in front of a large mug of butterbeer with her face in her hands, crying. He smirked and sat down next to her, this could be fun.

"Go away." She didn't even look up at him. "Just leave me alone."

"Fine here thanks." He leaned back on the chair and sipped his butterbeer, staring amusedly into her now upturned, furious eyes.

"Get away from me, Malfoy." She went for her wand, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Like I said, Fine here thanks." She stared at him, then buried her head in her arms on the table.

"Whatever."

"What's wrong? Weasel dump you?"

"I'm not going out with Ron, Malfoy."

"I know, I said he dumped you, it couldn't possibly be Potter, could it." She glared at him, and he laughed. "It is Potter? I knew it!"

"I am not, or have ever, been romantically linked with either Ron or Harry, except in the minds of the seriously deranged." She said it slowly and dangerously.

"Whatever you say. So what's with the crying? Got a B on a test?"

"No."

"Then what? McGonagall take away your prefect rights and kicked you out of your room for breaking the rules again?"

"Look, Malfoy, just leave me alone. I'm not going to tell you."

"Fine here thanks."

"Fine, I'll leave." She went to go, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Well, you're obviously hiding from someone, Granger, why would you want to come out of hiding?"

"I'll pick him over you any day of the week." She spat.

"Ahh, so it is a boy." He absent mindedly pulled her onto the chair next to him whilst lost in his thoughts. "And it's not Potter or Weasel? I didn't know you had that many friends."

"Let me go!" Malfoy was thoroughly enjoying the look of hatred on the Mudbloods face. He moved his face closer to hers, until there was only an inch gap. "Make me." She looked confused into his eyes as he closed the gap a little more, slowly inching towards her...

"What is going on here?" Pansy glared at the two, who were in a very incriminating position.

"Nothing." Malfoy smirked at her as Hermione twisted from his grip and ran off. He let her. "Go away, Pansy, I wish to be left alone in my thoughts."

Pansy stood hovering. "What were you and the Mudblood doing?"

"Like I said nothing." He waved his hand and took no further notice of her. She hovered for a few seconds then left.

Pansy was furious, she hadn't been this furious in a long time. Damn Draco Malfoy, Damn him to Hell. He made everything so complicated. Now he was with the Mudblood, it seemed, she never saw that coming. A secret relationship if ever she saw one. Well, she could work it to her advantage.

There she was, that Mudblood. Running behind Hondeydukes, crying. Oh, dear, is she upset that little insignificant Pansy, Draco's girlfriend, had found out her little secret crush on him? Shame.

She stalked around the back of the wizard sweet shop and came face to face with the girl. It was more like knee to face though seeming as she was sitting huddled up in a corner.

"You and me are gonna have a talk."

"What is it with Slytherins and annoying me today?" She stood up and trying to stalk past Pansy, but Pansy grabbed hold of her bushy hair and pulled.

"Owww, you freak, what'd go and do that for?"

"Like it would make a difference, you're hair is in serious need of some help." She yanked harder, bringing Hermione's ear to her mouth, "You, stay, away, from, my, Malfoy." She hissed dangerously.

"No, problem." Hermione kicked Pansy hard in the shin and the pug/girl screamed and let go of her hair. For the third time that day, she ran off. Pansy looked down at her hand, very pleased with herself. Entwined around her perfect manicure, were three strands of Hermione's hair.

That night

Pansy was the only one left in the common room. She had her cauldron out in front of her and several ingredients for a potion laid out around her. She was carefully pouring each one in, she wasn't going to muck this up, like she usually does.

The spell book told her to use "Harbitrate Grevane" She looked through her potions, and found one labelled "Harbitrate Grenvene". She looked at it, then shrugged. "Probably a spelling mistake". She added it, to her delight it turned an acid green colour. Acid green was her favourite colour, and she dropped the hairs into the potion.

It started to bubble violently, reducing itself down to nothing. At the bottom of the now empty cauldron was a silver locket, she laughed and picked it out of the cauldron. "You're going to wish you never touched my Draco, Mudblood.", in what she thought was an evil genius way, and packed up her things with a wave of her wand. Still laughing manically, she went to bed. If the stupid dint had been looking at the spell book, she would have noticed the large bold warning sign at the bottom of the page. "IF THE POTION GOES ACID GREEN, THROW IT AWAY IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU DO NOT, THEN THE LIVES OF EVERYONE IN A MILE RADIUS WILL BE IN DANGER!" It's nice to know you can always count on the stupid, little people to make everyone's lives more interesting.

It was late, really, really, late. Hermione had classes in the morning. None of this helped her sleep. In fact the idea of facing everyone made her cry more. Why did he have to go and do that? She sighed.

"Hermione?" A voice sounded, uncertainly from the door. She looked up hopefully, maybe it was just a joke. No, it was Harry.

"You're not allowed in here, Harry." She pulled her covers tighter into her chin and curled up in a little protective ball.

"You're crying." He stated, sitting down on the bed. "Why?"

"It hasn't been my day today." She laughed as she remembered Malfoy's teasing and Pansy's threatening. It really hadn't.

"Is it because of Dean?"

"Partly." She mumbled. Willing him to leave, or at least for the subject to change, no such luck.

"If it makes you feel better, me and Ron beat him up in the common room earlier."

"Badly?" She mumbled.

"He was limping." A momentary smile flickered across her lips, then the corners sank.

"And what about...her?"

"She's in Ravenclaw, so we couldn't get to her, plus, she's a girl and I wouldn't want to take away the privilege of you doing it for yourself." A full on smile hit her lips and she sat up.

"Thank you."

"Not at all, I want to see what you're going to do."

Hermione yawned. "I should go, you don't want the joy of classes to be hindered by being tired now do you?" Harry smiled at her and turned to leave.

Suddenly Harry turned around and looked at her. "You don't need Dean, you're beautiful and you'll have no trouble getting a boyfriend."

"Err... Thanks."

He sat back down on the bed and took her hand in his. "I'll always be there for you, 'Mione, whenever you need me."

Hermione was uncomfortable under his piercing stare. "Duly noted, thanks." She yawned very pointedly, and he smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Goodnight."

The next day

Hermione came out of her room the next day, to see a very flustered Neville hovering outside. He smiled at her and went very red. "Oh, hi, Hermione, fancy seeing you here."

"Yes...my secret is out, I sometimes come out of my room." Neville laughed loudly.

"You're so funny, Hermione, I'll walk you to the Great Hall."

"Um...Okay." He grabbed her arm and started to lead her away. Every time she started to strike up a conversation, Neville laughed and went bright red. They spent most of the time in silence.

As soon as they got to the Great Hall, just before they went in through the doors, Neville stopped and looked at Hermione. "Err…."

"What?"

He looked as if he was about to have a heart attack. "Nothing." He ran all the way back up the stairs.

Hermione watched him go in a confused fashion. Something was seriously wrong with that kid.

She pushed open the doors and went to sit with Harry and Ron, who smiled widely at her. Seamus came and joined them. "Morning Hermione." They all smiled widely at her, she wondered whether there was anything embarrassing stuck to her face.

"What is going on with you and Neville?" Ginny slid next to Hermione, pushing her rather put out brother out of the way.

"Nothing." The boys had all leaned in to hear better.

"Something obviously is. I was on the stairs at the little scene in the entrance hall."

"What's this?" Ron asked innocently.

"Nothing."

"You and, Neville eh?" Seamus sounded slightly hurt.

"Is it serious?" Harry looked at her sadly.

"What?" She got up and walked away from the table. Something was going seriously wrong today. On her way around the corner, she bumped into the Weasley twins, and fell over.

"Oh, sorry there, 'Mione." Each grabbing her under the armpits, they hauled her back to a standing position. "You alright?" They started dusting her off, "No bruises or anything,"

"No, I'm fine." She didn't like the look they were giving her. "I'm just gonna go now." She started to walk off, but Fred called to her.

"Where you going?" He ran up to her side, and George followed him hesitantly.

"Just back to my rooms."

"I'll escort you there." He took her by the arm and she looked pointedly at George. "Just ignore him." And led her back to her rooms. When they got there, the Weasley pulled Hermione into a huge hug and he whispered in her ear. "If you ever need me, I'll be there." And walked off.

"Okay, that was surreal." She opened the portrait and went quickly inside, before someone else decided to escort her somewhere.


	2. Chapter 2

Another chapter…please tell me what you think of this.

Chapter Two 

The envelope sat on Hermione's pillow, it was pink. She approached it with caution, glancing this way and that, just to make sure there wasn't anyone who wanted to escort her across the room. She picked it up, and realised it was scented. Whatever was in this envelope wasn't good.

She pulled out the letter and found it was covered in glitter, a charm made it float all around her and music played from nowhere. She looked around the room in terror, flowers were growing around the walls, and faeries fluttered around her. The letter opened itself and sung to her.

_Roses are red and violets are blue_

_You're the cleverest girl in school_

_And I love you_

She stared the letter and it turned into a dove and flew out the window. Okay, 5 on the romantic scale -2 on the original scale. Gazing about the room, she wondered how she could get all this stuff to go away. She took the envelope and closed it, her room cleared and the music stopped. Interesting, she thought. After experimenting with the envelope for a bit (Opening and closing it) she started to wonder who sent it to her.

Harry and Ron came to escort her to lessons, and she looked at them fearfully, beginning to suspect a spell.

It was like this throughout the day, boys kept coming up to her and asking where she was going, then escorting her there. At one stage the entire Hufflepuff Qudditch team walked her back from Herbology to lunch.

That evening she went to see Ginny in the Gryffindor common room. After hearing the entire story, Ginny sat back in her armchair and nodded. Before she could speak, George burst into the common room. Fred, who had been sitting in the chair nearest Hermione without actually joining in their conversation smiled at him.

"Don't you smile at me." George growled.

"Okay," He pulled the corners of his mouth down.

"Don't smirk either!" Fred looked confused.

"What's wrong, George?" He looked genuinely confused, and glanced at Hermione for help.

"That's what's wrong, right there!" He pointed at Hermione. "You knew I liked Hermione, but you still went off with her."

"Oh god…" Hermione held her head in her hands as Harry and Ron joined in the fight.

"You went off with Hermione, did you?" Ron was advancing on his older brother.

"Yeah, so?" He looked at them all unabashed. Angelina glared at Hermione.

"What happened?" Harry moved towards him, fists clenched.

"Yeah." Angelina stood up, "What happened, Fred?"

"As if I'm going to tell any of you." Ron launched himself at his brother, stopped by George, who launched himself faster at Fred, knocking him to the floor.

"I've loved Hermione for years!" Ron shouted over the noise of Fred shouting at George. They all stopped and looked at him.

"So have I!" shouted Harry. Ron punched him, Harry staggered then launched himself at Ron, knocking him onto the fighting twins. Seamus stood up. "You're all lying!"

Everyone stopped and looked at Seamus. "I love her more." He came and knelt by Hermione's feet, only to be jumped on by Fred. Neville was going very red, tears forming in his eyes. "I… I…" he stormed off into his room, as did many of the boys from lower years. Dean Thomas sat in the corner looking very pale.

"Oh, this is ridiculous." Hermione stalked out of the common room, and went back to her own.

Things got worse. Fights started in the halls, on three occasions, Harry and Ron had attacked guys who tried to talk to her. She spent most of her time running in-between classes, or hiding in the loos. The bell went and she grumbled, picking up her bag and peering cautiously around the corner. Taking the corridor at a run, she sped around a corner and then fell backwards.

"Geez, Granger, where you going at that speed? The library get some new books in?"

"I'm late for potions." She mumbled, getting back on her feet.

"Maybe you're just hiding again, it's kind of you to do that, save the world from your Mudblood."

"Get lost, Malfoy." She stormed away, breaking into a run again; she didn't stop until she reached the potion's lab.

"Ah, I see Miss Granger is kind enough to join us." Snape sneered at her. "Ten points from Gryffindor and you'll be serving detention with me tonight."

Harry, Ron, Seamus and Neville all leapt to their feet in protest. "If Grangers fan club doesn't sit down this instant, they will also be serving detention with me tomorrow." They all flushed red and sat down. Pansy watched them with narrow eyes, this wasn't supposed to happen…

A few minutes later, Draco sauntered into the classroom and took his seat. "Detention tonight, Mister Malfoy." Snape didn't turn around from the board, where he was writing the ingredients for a potion to cure hiccups.

Draco kicked the table, and opened his book.

Hermione kept her head down, on her work. She wanted answers, right now. Why was Neville looking at her like that? Why was Harry chopping her beozar so carefully? Why are Harry and Ron throwing each other dirty looks? Two days have gone past and the only thing that has changed is that all the guys in the entirety of the whole school now hate each other, she was beginning to suspect that the condition was not heterosexual, Parvati kept glancing at her and giggling.

It was stupid, it was a spell. She turned and saw Crabbe giving her the eye. Turning quickly, she saw that Ron was scowling at Crabbe. Oh god, not again, she had already had to stop Ron from almost killing a first year that smiled at her. Ron started to walk over to Crabbe like a man possessed, when Hermione grabbed his arm. "Don't."

He scowled at Crabbe, who cracked his knuckles. "Fine." He got on with his work sulkily.

That night…

Hermione took the hood of her cloak down as she stepped into Snape's classroom for detention. "What's with the disguise, hiding how ugly you are?" Draco was leaning back on his chair.

"What're you doing here?"

"I'm here for my own enjoyment." He scowled at her and rolled his eyes.

"Oh no, you're not here to…escort me anywhere, are you?"

Draco snorted, "Get over yourself, Mudblood, I have detention."

"Oh good," she smiled at him. "That's the nastiest thing anyone has said to me all day, thank you so much."

"Anytime." He shot her a strange look. She just sat back on her chair and sighed in relief. "Issues…"

Snape swept into the room suddenly. "Malfoy, you are to clean out the pickling jars by hand, no magic." He groaned and looked to the shelf, where eighty huge jars stood. "Granger, step this way."

Something that didn't resemble any form of hate alighted Snape's features as he looked at her. Icy fingers of fear closed around her heart. Exactly how far did this spell reach? He opened the door and waited for her to enter his office.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three 

Hermione stepped inside the office, and Snape slammed the door shut behind them. For a moment, all he did was look at her, and she slowly backed away, keeping her wand in her hand, at the ready. A moment later, he sat and his desk and motioned for her to sit down as well.

She did so, hardly daring to breathe… Why her? This was some cruel and twisted joke. He smiled at her, nicely. It made her skin crawl.

"Hermione Granger…" He said it with some satisfaction, as if he was trying it for the first time, and liked it.

"Professor Snape." She put special emphasis on the Professor, just to remind him of his position.

"You are my best student, Hermione. You could go far in the potion's world, if you knew how. I could help you there." He looked at her over steepled fingers.

"Err… thanks for the words of encouragement, but I'm here to be punishe-"

"I don't want to punish you girl. You're intelligence could rule the world." She stood up and started to back away from the desk, towards the door.

"That's nice, can I go now?"

"No." He waved his wand, a clicking noise signalled that the door was locked. "We aren't done talking."

He moved towards her and she shut her eyes, repenting already for the sin she was about to commit. Pointing her wand at him, she shouted, "Stupefy!" Snape crumpled to the floor. "Aloha Mora." The door unlocked with a click.

Draco was on his third jar when he heard the door lock. What the hell was Snape doing in there? Answers came rushing into his twisted mind and he pushed them far out of sight, Mudblood and Snape was not a good thing to see…although it would explain her grades.

A few minutes later, Hermione ran out of the door, crying. He glanced into the office, to see Snape unconscious, a dreamy expression on his face. Then he raced after Hermione.

He caught up with her as she took to the stairs, he grabbed her arm and she stopped, staring at him terrified. "Not you too… At least you can't lock me in an office with you."

"What, the hell, just happened with Snape?" He spluttered, the girl could run fast for a Mudblood.

"Why, jealous?" She sounded accusing, tired and miserable.

"I don't know, do I have anything to be jealous about?" She stared at him, as he smirked at her. It hit her like a speeding bullet.

"Draco, do you want to kiss me?"

"Good God, no." He made a disgusted face and gagged. It took him a few seconds to recover.

"Thank god, someone's sane!" She pulled him into a relieved hug.

"Get off me, girl!" As she broke away, a sixth year Ravenclaw came round the corner.

"Hey, Hermione! Do you want to go out this Saturday night?"

"Um…"

"Do we know you?" Malfoy stepped up to him.

"Never seen you before in my life." He stepped around Malfoy and advanced on Hermione.

"Not again…" She backed into a wall, some guys had got very violent, no Ron to beat them up now. Her grip on her wand got tighter.

"How 'bout it, Hermione? We'll go to Hogsmeade, take a walk in the moonlight…" He reached out to touched her.

Malfoy grabbed him. "Granger, do you know this guy's name?"

"No…" Hermione's voice wavered in her fear. "He just..." Malfoy needed no more encouragement. He hit him, and as his unconscious body hit the floor, he said, "What is going on?"

"Everyone has fallen in love with me," she stated plainly.

"I can see that," he eyed a group of first year Hufflepuffs peering around the corner and scowling at him. "What happened?" He turned around to Hermione. "Love spell you put on Weasel backfire?"

"No, I didn't do anything, it just happened, now everyone's in love with me." Hermione stood up and started to walk up the stairs. Draco followed her.

"Granger, this doesn't just apply to boys, does it?" He watched a group of second year girls' walk past them, giggling and smiling at Hermione.

"I don't think so." Hermione wanted the wall to swallow her whole.

"Excellent!" Malfoy laughed.

"It's not funny!" She hit him.

"Beg to differ." Malfoy wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.

"No, it isn't, it's not funny at all, I've lost all my friends, Harry and Ron can't even stay in the same room with me without trying kill each other. I have to run about from class to class, and even the teachers aren't safe! You're the only one in the whole damn school not totally in love with me!"

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Malfoy looked at her seriously. "It's not my problem that you can't handle your own life."

"You have to help me!"

"Err… no I don't, I don't have to do anything."

"But why did you help me with that guy?"

Malfoy shrugged. "He pissed me off."

"Then why are you following me?"

"Are you kidding? This is the funniest thing I have ever seen."

"I'd do anything!" She grabbed his arm.

"Anything?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you are impossible!" She stormed off.

Pulling her cloak back over her head, she ran all the way back to her common room. When she got there she saw three envelopes, pink and slightly scented. Sighing, she put them with the five she had received that morning, unopened.

The portrait swung open, and Ginny came in. As she shut the door, Hermione could just make out a group of boys trying to get in after her. Luckily, none of them had the password.

"What do you want?"

"That's nice, I only came to talk to you." Ginny sat down on the sofa opposite her, and looked into her eyes. "You have lovely eyes."

"Nicer than Harry's?"

"What?"

"A week ago, you said that Harry's eyes were the nicest eyes you had ever seen. Are you denying this now?"

"Your eyes are much prettier." She smiled coyly at Hermione.

"Ginny, please say you don't want to kiss me."

Ginny gasped and coloured, before looking to the floor and clasping her hands together. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

Ginny was seriously creeping Hermione out right now. "Look, it's a spell, you don't really feel this way."

"I've never been so sure of my feelings, Hermione." Her face went as red as Ron's.

"It's not real, remember what I told you in the common room?"

"Oh, I see, it's a spell, or maybe you just don't feel the same way."

"What?"

"Hermione, if you don't like me, just say it, because I won't waste my time with you if there is no hope."

"Ginny…"

"Don't Ginny me! It's because Ron's my brother, isn't it?"

"No…"

"Well, it's because I'm a girl then. I hate you Hermione Granger." She ran out crying.

"Geez, everyone has gone wacko."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I've almost rewritten this chapter in the proof read, but I hope it's still okay. Thank you to the reviewers, I really like this story and I'm glad you do too.

Chapter Four 

She could hear their voices outside; there must be at least twenty people outside. She knew what she would have to do, but doing it would take a lot of guts.

She opened the door carefully, hoping that they wouldn't notice her until she was ready. Her estimations were correct, there were about twenty of them, and the Weasley twins were shouting at the top of their voices for order. Hermione noticed how they avoided each other whilst bossing everyone else around and sighed sadly. She coughed rather loudly, and they went silent, immediately forming a line against the wall, as if they were troops for inspection. "Look, Hermione will sort this out, once and for all." Fred walked up to her.

"Which one of us do you want to go out with?" He smiled at her. She scanned the line of boys, they were all from Gryffindor, Ron looked uncomfortable, and Harry just stared.

"What makes you think I want to go out with any of you?" For the millionth time that day, she gripped her wand tightly.

"Come on, every guy from Gryffindor is here, what you want a slytherin boyfriend?" George scoffed as he approached Hermione and Fred. Fred whirled around and shot him a warning glance, but George steadfastly ignored him, and stood beside her. Hermione decided to ignore the exchange and scanned the line once more, taking in all the faces. Some were only first years, and with mixed emotions found Dean not to be there.

"Maybe I don't want a boyfriend." Hermione felt awfully closed in, with the twins each side of her, and eighteen hungry looking boys standing in front of her, looking at her as if she was a steak dinner.

Fred smiled and took her hand. "Hermione, I know that you are a kind and loving person, who wants to spare all their feelings, but it's hurting them, thinking they have a chance with you. Just tell us who you like more."

"I like you all as friends."

"Cut the crap, 'Mione." Ron stepped forward and pushed George out of the way, taking Hermione's other hand. George fell back a few paces and then hit Ron hard on the arm. Ron turned and glared, and Hermione knew what was coming. Ron obviously knew what she was thinking, because he ignored George and turned back to her. "Tell them who you like." He gave her an encouraging smile.

"None of you!" She pulled her hands from the stunned Weasley brother's and set off down the corridor as fast as she could. She just heard George (Or Fred, they sound similar at speed) shouting, "follow her!" She ran faster.

She ran until her heart pounded and her feet ached, they were still in pursuit. The only place where she could think of going to was the place where the only person she was remotely safe to be with was, the Slytherin Dungeons. He had to help her, he would be inhuman not to.

Halfway there, she ran into Malfoy himself. "What's wrong, Mudblood, your boyfriends chasing you?"

"Yes." She said bluntly.

"That's nice for you." He walked to the end of the corridor and shouted "Hey! She's over here!"

"Stop it!" She hit the laughing boy. "Help me!"

"Oh, alright." He tapped a statue with his wand and shouted "Pirrilium Maxus" The statue leapt aside, and the Slytherin Prefect's door came into sight. She pulled him through the door and slammed it behind them. Listening intently for any signs that she'd been spotted, she heard Fred shout, "She's probably went that way!" and the sound of many feet running away.

"This, is getting ridiculous." She turned back to Malfoy, who was staring at her. "Are you sure you don't want to kiss me?"

"You sound a little disappointed there, Granger, but sorry, it seems this spell didn't work on me." He flopped on the sofa. He seemed to have forgotten she was even there in an instant, as he started to stare out the windows into the grounds. She basked in the company and not being centre of attention, and for that instant, forgave Malfoy for all his wrong doings in exchange for letting her have these few moments of peace.

She sat next to him; it would seem he was the closest thing she's got to a friend at the moment. "But why didn't it work on you?"

"Maybe magic isn't strong enough to make me ever like you."

"Maybe…" She looked about the room for the first time. It was like hers, except the sofas were leather and the room was green and silver. "There's got to be a way to stop this madness. A counter spell, anything."

"Well, if you don't know it, it probably doesn't exist. Which is all the better, this is just getting funnier and funnier."

"Come on." She stood up and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him towards the door.

He pulled his arm away from her, as if she was poisonous. "Wait a minute, Granger, where are we going?"

"To the library to look for a cure."

"Woah, and you think I'm going to go to the library for you?" He stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, come on! You have to help me! I'd do anything!"

For a moment he looked at her. His eyes lit up with mischief. Inching towards her, she backed away. "Err… Malfoy?"

He didn't reply. Maybe he was under the spell, just clever at hiding it. She backed away until she hit a cold stone wall. He didn't stop advancing on her until his face was less than an inch away from her own. "Malfoy, what are you doing?" He closed the gap touched her lips with his.

"Ewww!" She shoved him off her, and he fell to the floor, laughing. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Oh, come now, Granger, don't take it so personally." He didn't bother moving from the floor.

"Don't take it so personally? You KISSED me!"

"I was only seeing what all the fuss was about." Standing up, he moved closer to her again.

"You're insufferable." She pushed him away and stormed out.

She ran up the corridor in the most terrible mood, her heart thumping angrily and her breathing ragged. How dare he! She needed him to help her and he turned it all into some sort of mind game! Her feelings of forgiveness evaporated.

She turned the corner, not really knowing where she was stomping, but just blowing off steam. She ran up some stairs and took another left, and then ran into someone who was just standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Ow." She said, sitting up and taking stock of her limbs. All there, nothing broken. She looked up to see who it was that she had knocked into and found Dean Thomas staring at her as if he had seen a ghost. Great. The person that she had most been dying to see, ever again. Not.

"Hermione." He said, his eyes round. "How are you?"

"Perfect." She said, smiling at him sickly sweetly. "Never better." He leaned over to give her help to stand and she pushed his arm away, standing by herself and dusting off. "Goodbye." She said.

"Hermione, about what happened…" He called after her as she pushed past him.

"Save it, Thomas." She snapped as she stomped off around the corner, heading for the courtyard. Her anger had evaporated now, leaving her drained and exhausted. No one was going to help her, fine. She could take care of herself. But she could think of at least one boy who wasn't going to get away this easily.

Hermione felt as insignificant as a pendant on a chain as she sat between Harry and Ron in charms. They each had a hold of her arms and were staring triumphantly at the other classmates who kept throwing them jealous looks. She looked over at Dean Thomas and saw that he was staring steadfastly ahead, and her eyes narrowed. Maybe this was all his fault, seeming as the day before this all happened was when he… She'd have to investigate it further.

Sighing, she listened to Flitwick praising her last essay on counter-charms, and the class applauded. The loudest to applaud, was Malfoy, who also wolf whistled and shouted.

She was glad that he was enjoying himself. But he was foolish if he didn't think she would get her revenge. No one kisses Hermione Granger without her permission and gets away with it. She already had a plan that would make sure that this was as horrible for him as it was for her. She still couldn't rule out his involvement in all of this.

"Now, we are going to use the truth charm. It is not at powerful as truth serum, but it will force the victim to unearth secrets about themselves and others that they would normally be reluctant to answer. Plus, they can only answer yes and no. Get into partners." Flitwick glanced about the room, winking at Hermione.

Everyone looked at Hermione expectantly, hoping they would be picked. She rested her head on her hands and sighed. There was a tap on her shoulder; it was Ron, who was grinning at her.

Someone called out; "I want to go with Hermione!" Looking in the direction of the shout, she saw Malfoy almost explode with laughter, as every student got on their feet and protested.

It took quite a while for the ruckus to subside, and when it did, Seamus and Blaise had to be taken to the hospital wing. Flitwick scowled at his students; "Hermione will pick who she wants to be with."

Looking around, she saw the only person not to be staring at her pleadingly was Malfoy, who was watching her like an eagle watches a vole. He was having way too much fun, she needed to rain on his parade a little, show him that she wasn't going to let him play with her like this. Picking up her things, she moved into the seat next to him, which had been occupied by Blaise. He looked a little startled, then smirked. "Don't you like people worshipping you?"

"No." She got out all her books and arranged them on the desk beside his. Everyone else chose partners and Flitwick continued. "Now, be careful which questions you choose to ask, because it may well be that your partner will pick similar ones when it comes to your turn. The words are 'maxims honnette'"

"I'll go first." Malfoy pointed his wand at her throat. "This should be fun, 'maxims honnette'."

Hermione felt dizzy and her head span, all she could hear was Malfoy's voice.

"Do you fancy Weasel even a little bit?"

"No."

"Do you fancy Potter?"

"No."

"It is true you hate everyone in the school loving you?"

"Yes." Her head was a little clearer now, and she wondered why he was asking her such obvious questions.

"Is there someone in the school affected by the spell that you fancy?"

"No."

"How about someone in the school not affected by the spell that you would like to be?"

"Yes." The words came out before Hermione could do anything about it. She looked in horror at Malfoy smirk, and wanted to run away before he could ask any more unwanted questions.

"Did you enjoy that kiss this morning?"

"Yes." Stop stop stop!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry these chapters are so short, but I'm trying to post them before I forget to (plus there is a certain person badgering me for them, and I guess it is Easter) , so, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five 

Her feet pounded the corridor once again as she ran away from the class. She had just up and left before Malfoy could register what she had said. What had she said? She LIKED him kissing her? She wanted him to be in LOVE with her? That isn't possible, he had just talked around to get her to say that so he could torment her more. Revenge will be sweet.

How dare he be doing this? Doesn't he understand the problems not just she had, but the whole school as well? If charms was anything to go by, classes would be disrupted, and friendships would be shaken. It seemed that the spell was getting more and more intense now, it started with giggles in the corridor, and now they were fighting and rioting in the classrooms. Hermione needed to do some research now, but it kept coming back to the same thing. Where was she safe? She knew from that horrifying experience with Snape that the teachers weren't safe, so perhaps going to Dumbledore was not a good idea.

That brought her back to the idiotic prat that was Draco Malfoy. Maybe there were others like him, who weren't affected by whatever it was that was happening to her. How would she find them? Certainly none of her friends were unaffected. Perhaps Hagrid?

No, she couldn't risk it. Some of the nicest people were turning nasty on her, and Hagrid wasn't someone you wanted to upset. Perhaps she'll run into them at some other point, and perhaps they would be a lot more willing to help her, instead of making her life worse.

"Hermione!" A voice called out to her and she turned, seeing Remus Lupin striding toward her. She turned again, biting her lip. Oh god, she thought, she couldn't bear it. She continued to walk, but he ran to catch up with her.

"Hermione, what's wrong? Why are you out of lessons?"

"Nothing, Remus." She said, her voice quavering. "I just needed to go to the bathroom."

"I see." He said and she studied him for strange behaviour, and saw only concern in his eyes.

"How long are you around for?" She asked, hope blossoming in her chest.

"Not long." He told her. "I arrived this morning for an emergency meeting with Dumbledore and then I'm off again back to my…family." He said the last word with a certain degree of discomfort and Hermione knew he wasn't talking about his mum and dad. She nodded, knowing that there were certain other things happening that were a lot more important than this silly business. She couldn't ask Lupin for his help.

"Okay." She said. "How is the outside world?" She asked suddenly. "These walls seem to consume the entire world."

"I know, wonderful, isn't it?" Lupin said, grinning. "Everything is normal out there, I guess. Nothing new, anyway."

"Good." Hermione said, comforted that at least somewhere, there was normality. "Well, I'd better get back to class."

"See you later Hermione." Lupin waved his hand and headed off in the direction of Dumbledore's office.

So people who weren't in the castle grounds weren't affected. That was useful to know. It could also explain why Malfoy wasn't affected. Where had he gone? Hermione shook her head and heard footsteps coming up the corridor behind her. She dived behind a statue just in time to see Dean Thomas slink by. She got a certain satisfaction from his utterly miserable expression, but knew that his presence meant that classes were coming to an end and she better get back to her rooms to prepare her revenge against the Slytherin slime.

That night, the great hall was in uproar, everyone was discussing who Hermione loved more. As she walked in, Dumbledore stood, and the hall went silent.

"As you may have guessed, there has been some commotion over Miss Hermione Granger of late."

"Who is it? I'll kill them!" Ron jumped up from his seat and glared around the room. Hurried whispers catapulted around the room.

"Sit down Mr Weasley." Dumbledore glared at him. Harry and George stood, picking Ron up and forcing him into his seat amidst his threats against the entire school. Once he had stopped yelling, Dumbledore continued. "It would seem that she has been attracting unwanted attention to herself." At this, he gave the smallest glance to Snape, who went bright red and glared at anyone who tried to look at him. "Therefore, I am asking you all to back down. Harassing our best student in fifty years will result in immediate detention and possible suspension. Let her choose whom she would like to date when she is ready to choose."

"Come on, Hermione, you should just let these creeps all know that you're my girl!" A Ravenclaw seventh year stood up and stretched out his arms. He tried to move towards her, but was stopped by the rest of his house, who pummelled him to the ground. Angry voices were heard everywhere. Hermione rested her head on her arms and squeezed her eyes shut. A voice sounded above the rabble, it was Malfoy's.

"Hermione is totally in love with Ronald Weasley!" At this the entirety of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw moved as a wave onto Ron. Who yelped, but refused to deny it.

That was it, there was a riot, everyone student was kicking, biting and struggling with each other to prove who Hermione loved more. Hermione hid under a table and crawled along the length of it, stopping as she reached the end, and saw Malfoy. He was rolling about in laughter, watching Ron and Harry getting their faces pummelled in by their fellow Gryfindors. Smiling to herself, she stood up, this was the perfect time for revenge.

Before she could make a move, Snape jumped on the teacher's table and shouted, "Fools! You think you can give her want she needs? She needs careful tutoring, she needs her mind to be shaped, and made even more magnificent! She needs me!" The whole room stopped and stared at him. Malfoy, who started laughing hysterically again, broke the silence. As if on cue, the room lit up with argument.

Something in the corner of her eye made her glance at the Slytherin table. Pansy was sitting down, rocking back and forth and staring at the empty plate in front of her. As she looked up and saw Hermione, she immediately shrank under the table and hid.

Hermione shouted at the top of her lungs "Hey!" The argument's stopped immediately and every pair of eyes was staring at her.

"I'm really flattered that you would all feel this way over me." A smile backed this up. "But there really is only one guy for me." She walked up to Malfoy and took his hand. A look of shock and confusion on his face. "Me and Draco have been going steady for a while now, and I love him so much." Just to add to the effect, and to make this more of an ordeal for Malfoy, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. For a few seconds he kissed back, shocked. Then he pulled away and stared at her.

She smiled at him coyly. His face was classic, shock turned to confusion, confusion to realisation, realisation to horror. He turned to the shocked students and saw them all burning with rage. Fred shouted out, "Hermione, with the slime of Slytherin?" Ron looked as if he was about to explode. "GET HIM" A wave of over a hundred students fell upon Malfoy, and he turned back to Hermione, but she had gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six 

Malfoy ran, and the students followed him. Turning a corner, he sped up the corridor and back down another, he could hear the angry shouts of the mob. Suddenly he ran into nothing. He got up and shook his head, there was nothing there, and it was giggling. He had heard that laugh somewhere before. "Granger?"

There was a whooshing noise and Hermione appeared in front of him. He was surrounded by a cloak, which he marvelled at. "An invisibility cloak, these are rare. Where did you get it?"

"It's not exactly mine, I'm borrowing it without the owners permission, but I'll give it back. Where they got it from, I'm not going to tell you."

"Fair enough. Now, let's get back to the business at hand. What the hell do you think you are doing? You told a whole load of crazy people that you and me are going steady!"

Hermione looked hurt. "But, it's true, Draco, you and me, we've been going steady for a while, how can you just forget it?"

"What?" Hermione was on the verge of tears; he looked around for somewhere they could talk, the horde was closing in fast. He pulled the girl into an empty classroom.

Pulling the invisibility cloak off of them, he glared at her. "Explain."

Hermione looked at the floor, obstinate tears stayed in her eyes, but only just. "I thought we had something special. I thought we had something beautiful."

"Where did you get this assumption?" His stance a wall of freezing ice.

"Well, you kissed me, remember? You don't just kiss your enemy, I thought that meant something to you!"

"Granger, I was joking around!"

"How can you say that! How can you just brush it aside as if it didn't matter! I thought we had something! I thought you…" She broke down into tears. Hovering uncertainly, he put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry if you thought…" 'Woah,' he thought, what am I saying? Apologising to the Mudblood? Never.' He stood up. "Stupid girl, how could I ever love anyone like you? You're too clingy."

Hermione ran to him and held him. "But Draco, what about all those things you said? About being with me always?"

"You're a psycho. I never said anything like that."

She pulled away from him and wiped her tears away. Draco sat down on a desk and looked up at her. To his immense surprise and relief, she started laughing. "Psyche."

"Granger!"

"Yeah?"

"It was all a joke, why the hell did you do that? Why did you tell them we were going out?"

"Revenge. Now you have to help me."

He stood up and went to the door. "No, you have to tell them that we aren't going out."

"No I don't. I don't have to do anything." She smiled at him and he returned it as a scowl.

"Yes you do, they're gonna kill me when they find me, I mean they're practically killing each other." He gulped and glared at her. She smiled and shook her head. "Fine I'll tell them." He went to open the door, but she grabbed his wrist.

"Because they'll believe you. Sorry, but I think I'll just let them beat you to a pulp. You're stuck with me."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Well, that's nice Granger, maybe I'll just let them kill me."

"What, don't you like being my boyfriend?" Her eyes lit up with mock hurt.

"No! Plus, why did you kiss me if this was all a set up."

"The question is, why did you kiss me back?" Malfoy looked at her, stunned. He had definitely kissed her back, but he didn't know why. Or did he? He shook his head, it was the shock, and he would have done anything…

"I…" He flustered.

Hermione smiled winningly. Moving a little closer to him, she whispered in his ear. "I think someone likes being my boyfriend."

"Get away from me!" He pushed her off him and she laughed.

"Isn't that what you did to me?"

"Point taken." He picked up the invisibility cloak and threw it over his shoulders. "Come on then."

"Where are we going?" She joined him under the cloak.

"To the library to look for a cure. I hate the fact that hundreds of people think I don't hate you." He opened the door and they headed towards the library.

It was a slow and awkward journey. Neither of them talked much, it took a lot of effort to manoeuvre around the people lining the doors. Hundreds of students had packed themselves into the library, apparently waiting for Hermione to turn up.

"Shit." Malfoy ducked as someone pulled a book down from the shelf behind him.

"Quiet." Hermione pulled him over to the love spells section. "Get as many books as you can, we'll study in my room. It's the closest."

"Fine." He grabbed a pile of books from the shelves, and Hermione did the same. Getting out of the library was near impossible. They were trying to carry heavy books and not touch anyone.

They were almost out, when a fifth year Hufflepuff stepped in their way, causing Hermione to stumble and knock into someone. It was Ron.

"Who's there?" He felt around for the invisible person. Malfoy pulled Hermione into him so that Ron didn't touch her. "Harry?" He squinted into the space. The two were already backing away. "Why would you be und-…Hermione!" His eyes lit up with hope and he groped around to find her. The couple under the cloak hardly dared to breathe.

"What?" About thirty heads turned his way. Malfoy took Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the library, just as another riot started up.

Back at Hermione's rooms, they spread out the books and started searching for the cure. It took a long while to find, and none of the spells even touched on obsessive, violent fans.

"Have you been feeling unloved and left out and wishing people would notice you?" Draco asked uninterestedly as he leafed through the pages.

"Not really."

"Have you just been through a traumatic experience that made you feel as if no one wanted you and that you were a piece of scum."

Hermione pressed her lips together and stared stubbornly at the floor.

"I'll take that as a yes." He sat forward and looked at her, concerned. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

He smiled knowingly. "Hogsmeade, with the crying. You were crying over a boy. That's what set the spell off."

"No."

"Well, what happened? I need to know, otherwise we'll never get this over with."

"It's nothing, really."

"That bad, huh? Come on! I don't want to be hiding under cloaks with you for the rest of my life. Out with it!"

She sighed, then said in one long rush. "I went out with Dean Thomas once or twice, and then he dumped me and on the same day I walked in on him and Padma Patil kissing." She shook herself. "There, I said it, happy?" She knew it wasn't much of an upsetting story, but it had upset her majorly.

"Ok, and were you traumatised by this?" She saw amusement in his eyes, her hatred doubled at his insensitivity.

"Well, I was upset, but not traumatised to the extent of putting a spell on myself to make everyone kill each other."

Malfoy threw the book down. "We'll never find it! It's a lost cause!"

"We have to keep looking! There's got to be something. Look, I bumped into Professor Lupin this afternoon."

"Lupin? The werewolf?" Draco laughed in delight. "What happened? Did he start growling and chasing you on all fours?"

"No." Hermione said. "He was…normal. Just like you." She said. "He wasn't in the castle when the spell was cast. I think it only affected those in the school." She watched him. "So where were you?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I was here. Haven't left since Hogsmeade." He told her. "It's like I said, even magic isn't powerful enough to make me like you."

"Alright, but what spell does that?" She asked, going back to the books. "You would think that a general love spell would be cast on a person, so that everyone they come into contact with falls for them. But we know that isn't true because Lupin met me and didn't fall in love and you didn't either, unless you are really good at hiding your true emotions."

"Sorry, Granger. I'm just not attracted to you." He smirked.

"Then it must have been cast on everyone else. But what spell does that?" At this, there was a loud knocking on the portrait door.

"Hermione! Come out right now! There's no way to escape! We want answers."

"Shit!" Malfoy stood up. "If they find me in here, I'm dead!"

"Err…" Hermione looked around the paintings, and saw one she had never taken any notice to before. It was a lion with a snake in its mouth. "Oh, no, you can't do this to me." She scowled at the ceiling, causing Malfoy to back away.

"Granger…"

"Look, just follow this passage." She swung open the portrait, revealing a dark passage. Scooping up the books and the invisibility cloak, they made their way quickly down the passage. When they found a flight of stairs leading down, they heard the noise that could only be described as Hermione's beautiful painting being ripped in two.

The tunnel downwards was pitch dark, Hermione, despite herself was scared. She moved closer to Malfoy, and could hardly see him in the gloom. "Granger, are you scared?" He whispered into her ear. She nodded; too many bad experiences in the castle had led her to mistrust any passages that appeared behind paintings that weren't there before. He took her hand, "Stay close to me."

He led her down, and she did as he said, and stayed as close as possible to him, jumping at each noise. She marvelled at the stealth of his movements, as if there was hidden power in every muscle. He was the only warm in the otherwise cold tunnel, and she clung to him, as if some force stuck her to him.

After sometime, they came to a door. "Where are we?" Malfoy's voice came as a shock to her, they had been moving silently for over an hour.

"I think, we might be at your rooms." The door opened inwards, and on the other side was a green wall. "Or maybe not."

"Wait a minute, I recognise this." Malfoy poked the wall, and it rippled. Then he walked into it. "It's one of the hangings in my common room." They entered quickly and shut the door behind them.

"Why the hell is there a passage from my room to your room?"

Malfoy smirked. "Maybe a Gryffindor and a Slytherin were secret lovers and made the passageway so that they could have their way with each other in secret."

"Yuck, why would a Gryffindor do a thing like that? No self-respecting Gryffindor would go anywhere near a Slytherin."

"Oh, no?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her.

"No. Now let's find a way to get rid of this, so that I can get back to my real friends." She flopped on his couch and opened a book.

"I love you too Hermione." He flopped down next to her.

An hour later, the two sat back, frustrated. They had exhausted all the books, and found nothing that was powerful enough to make over a hundred people fall in love to the point of committing murder.

"We're doing this wrong…" Hermione frowned at the books.

"Or maybe, everyone really did just fall in love with you."

"Don't be ridiculous." She stared at him pensively. "Why does the spell not affect you?" She got up and started pacing. "Who would make every person in the school except you fall in love with me. Revenge? What did I do?" Her eyes lit up as an idea dawned on her. "Pansy."

"What does my girlfriend have to do with this?"

"This all started happening the day she- Wait. Pansy and you are seriously going out?"

"Not really, she just clings onto me, it's easier to just say we're going out."

Hermione looked at him, and opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask another question. Then shook her head. "Well, that just proves it."

"Enlighten me, Holmes."

"That's a muggle reference." She smiled at him nastily. "I thought you hated all things muggle."

"I do, Arthur Cohen Doyle happened to be a great wizard."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Well, he must have been evil for you to think he was great."

"Can we just get back to the spell please." Malfoy said impatiently.

"Pansy saw you and me in the three broomsticks, and thought there was something going on. After that she came and threatened me, she must've done the spell on me to get revenge. In the hall earlier she was acting really weirdly. It's got to be her that cast the spell!"

"A spell to make you the most popular girl in school?"

"You know Pansy, she probably did it wrong."

Malfoy nodded. "The reason it didn't work on me is because the last thing she wanted me to do was fall in love with you." He shrugged, "Makes sense."

"Right, so we need to check out Pansy's room, and see what the hell she's done to me."


	7. Chapter 7

Yay! Next chapter. Thank you for the reviews, and I'll try to keep up with my crazy updating frenzy to keep you happy! Erm...this is mostly Pansy/Draco, I'm not sure why he's being SO nice to her...but that's our Draco! So unpredictable.

Chapter Seven

The Slytherin common room was just down the hall from Malfoy's rooms, so they were outside the fifth year girl's room in less than five minutes. There was heavy breathing from inside, as if someone was crying. Taking a peek in under the cloak they saw Pansy sprawled out on her bed, crying her eyes out.

"I got this one." Malfoy whispered to Hermione, and took the cloak off. He entered the room; an invisible Hermione followed him in.

When Pansy saw him, she ran over to him and threw herself into his arms. Despite herself, Hermione felt a little strange about the familiarity of the two, but she put it down to two people who usually spent their time making other people's lives a misery actually sharing a moment of tenderness.

"Draco, I'm so sorry, I only did it for you." She wept into his shoulder and he hugged her gently

"Did what, Pansy?" Even his tone was different with her, a little softer. The sort of tone that could make a girl's heart melt when whispered in her ear. Hermione stepped back and bit and started to feel a little sick at being present at this unnatural state of affairs. Draco was being nice, more than nice, and tender, to help her, Hermione, out.

"The spell, it was meant to make you hate her, I only wanted you to love me." Pansy wept. "I knew that something was going on with you. Ever since I saw you in the Three Broomsticks, sitting so close, I was just so jealous." She cried some more, and Draco said nothing, he could think of nothing to say. He wanted to throw her away from him and scream at her for being so stupid, how could she ever think that there was something going on between them? But she just looked so hurt, and he couldn't tell her that. "How long have you been cheating on me with her?" Pansy said.

Draco disengaged himself from her and bit his thumbnail thoughtfully. He'd have to lie to her. "I don't know." He said, glancing at the spot where Hermione stood under the cloak, invisible. "Two months."

"Two months!" Pansy buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe it! I can't even be upset with you, I can't even hate her. My spell worked really well." She sighed. "I'm sorry I did this to you. I just didn't want to loose you, and now I've lost both of you." Pansy sighed heartily.

"What?" Malfoy said, then realised, Pansy's under the spell too. "Oh, I see."

"Yeah, she's beautiful, isn't she?" Pansy smiled at him.

"Uh," he glanced at Hermione again. "Yeah."

"Tell me about, when you fell in love with her." Pansy was in a world of her own. She stared at Malfoy, who did his best impression of someone not horrified. Hermione grinned to herself and crossed across the room closer to Malfoy, wanting to hear every word he said for future torture.

"Well, uh, I was walking around school one day, it was warm, and there were no classes so I went out in the grounds." He started and cleared his throat uncomfortably, wondering whether he could just stun Pansy and run for it. "There she was, with Potter and Weasley. They were sitting by the lake, and Weasley told her a joke. She was kneeling so I could see her face and it bloomed like a rose that met the sun. Her laugh was so sweet that my heart stopped, I just knew."

Hermione leaned on Pansy's dresser, just behind the bed so that he could see Draco's face. He was a good actor, she thought, she almost believed it. She moved her hand and it brushed upon something on the counter. 'Hello…' she thought. 'What's this?'

Pansy sighed happily. "She's very lucky." Malfoy smiled at Pansy, it was so easy to please her, you just said the most romantic thing in your head and she was yours. Suddenly, he got a kick in the back of the leg by an invisible foot and he said quickly. "I gotta go, meet her."

"Okay, Draco. It must be hard for you, suddenly everyone wants her." Pansy sighed again. "We can still be friends, right?"

"Uh…yeah." They hugged and he left.

"Awww… Draco, I didn't know you cared." Hermione didn't even wait until they were out of the common room before she started teasing him.

"Shut up, I had to say something to her. She would have got angry if I told her the truth, thinking I just did it to hurt her." He rapidly let off the excuse he'd been making all the way down the stairs.

"Ah, so the Malfoy's do have hearts in the family."

"Small and exquisitely black, but yes, hearts there are."

"I see." Until this point, Malfoy was having a conversation with an invisible girl. At this, Hermione took off the cloak, seeming as everyone was in the library.

"Oh, look, the light of my life." Malfoy bent down on one knee sarcastically. Then he snorted, "I don't see how anyone could think that was true, I mean, look at you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're not exactly pretty."

"So?" Anger boiled up inside her.

"In fact, I'm sick to death of you, and we've only been together one day!"

"Don't think I like you anymore than you like me."

"Well, you must be repulsed by me then. I mean you're a know-it-all Mudblood and I really couldn't give a damn what happens to you." He crossed his arms and glared at her.

"What?"

"That's right. I couldn't give a flying monkey. And don't use that 'they'll beat you up for touching me' thing, because no Slytherin would believe that I would sink myself to the level where Gryfindors make good company." Draco was in full defensive mode, so sick and tired of this Mudblood bitch jerking him around and making him do her bidding.

"You know what, fine. I don't care. I only really kept you around for the company anyway. I can do this by myself." She walked to the door.

"Buh-bye then." He sat down on a sofa and put his feet up on the table, staring into the fire.

"Bye." She disappeared through the door.

Outside he could hear the Slytherins returning home. "Shit." The cloak was lying on the floor, Hermione was unprotected. He knew what his friends were like about girls. She could be killed.

Grabbing the cloak, he went after her.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey hey! Thank you for all the reviews, and I'm glad this story is going down well. Thank you especially to Lyn for taking the time to give me all those notes. Most of it is typoes, because my brain works faster than my fingers! I hope that Emily is doing some revision whilst I've been typing this!

Chapter Eight 

Hermione stalked down the hall, how dare he leave her to do this on her own! It was his fault she was in this mess, if he hadn't fooled around in the Three Broomsticks she would be living her normal life. But no, Geez, he was a real jerk. At least she had found the thing they were looking for. The book had just been lying there on the desk, and Hermione didn't think that Pansy would be doing some late night revision.

Someone grabbed her from behind and hissed in her ear. "Look what I have here." It was Alfie Flint, Marcus' little brother. He was in the sixth year. His fingers cut into her arm, the look on his face terrified her.

"Let me go." She demanded, her argument with Malfoy still fresh in her mind.

"Err… no." His laugh was like a saw through iron. "You're too pretty to let go." He turned her round and she got a puff of awful breath. "Come with me." He dragged her down the hall like an ape carrying a rag doll. She struggled against him, and for her troubles was knocked nearly unconscious with the back of his hand. Her anger was gone and cold fear took its place.

She was crying with pain and fear by the time he stopped. There was a sound like a key turning in a lock, and then she was dragged into a cold room. There wasn't a stick of furniture in the room. Before she could take in her surroundings she was slammed up against a wall.

"Pretty girl." He ran his fingers through her hair; she cringed into the wall.

"Let me go, please, just let me go."

"No." He grabbed her hand, which was going for her wand in her robes. "No wands, honey."

"Please let me go, if you love me, let me go." She reasoned with him, the wand in her robes pressing against her leg, so near and yet so far away.

"So you can run back to Malfoy and keep going steady with that little runt? Not until you give me a chance." He grinned evilly at her. His teeth were stained yellow.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Don't worry, I won't kill you, and try not to hurt you." He laughed and leaned into her face.

Hermione's heart was going faster than it ever had. Alfie's face was coming closer and closer to her own. She shut her eyes and screamed, "Draco! Help me!"

Malfoy ran down the halls, searching for the little Mudblood. Where the hell was she? Suddenly he heard a scream. "Draco! Help me!" It was coming from somewhere in the next corridor. She sounded like she was in pain and he swore. He was too late, someone had got to her, and he knew what his housemates could be like, especially under a spell.

The door was locked, and Malfoy swore again, trying to beat it with his fist. When this didn't work, he kicked the door in frustration, and felt his wand in his pocket. Rolling his eyes at his own stupidity he brought it out and blasted the door open.

He used the expellaramus spell to send Alfie flying across the room, and Hermione sank to the floor, crying.

"What's the matter Draco? Don't want to share the love around?" He got up laughing. He walked over to where Hermione was, and she crawled away from him. Malfoy crossed the floor and pushed him away.

"Get away from her you piece of scum." Malfoy spat.

"Come on, you can't really care for her that much, I mean, she's a Gryfindor Mudblood, you hate her man, you're always saying it."

"Things change."

"Not you. For four years you've wanted her dead. I just wanted some fun." He approached Hermione again.

Malfoy stepped in the way. "Leave her."

Alfie stared from Hermione to Malfoy, whose wand was pointing at his throat and shrugged. "Whatever dude." He turned to Hermione. "This is not over honey."

Malfoy grabbed her by the hand, but she refused to move. "Come on, Granger, we have to get going, the whole of Slytherin are just like him."

"Except you." She looked at him.

"Don't be so sure." She got up and followed him out the room.

They were at the end of the corridor when they heard Alfie's voice. "Look, you guys hold Malfoy, I'll go for the chick." There was muttered agreement.

Hermione was going to scream, but Malfoy pulled her behind a statue and pressed a finger to her lips. It was cramped behind the statue and Hermione found herself for the second time pressed up against a wall. Malfoy kept the finger pressed on her lips until the Slytherins had gone.

They didn't move for sometime. Hermione realised exactly how close she was to Malfoy. They were practically pressed together. His breath tickled her neck. His after-shave was sweet. Looking into his eyes she saw him staring at her intently. Ever so slightly, he was moving towards her. She let him.

When his face was centimetres away from her own, she said "Malfoy, shouldn't we be going now?"

He looked as if he had snapped out of a trance. "I guess we should." He used a thumb to wipe the tears from her face. "I'll walk you home, you know, to save me having to come and save you again later."

"Okay." They stayed silent for the trip, not knowing what to say. Malfoy could feel Hermione shaking beside him, and knew that the attack had messed her up. He grabbed her hand to make sure that she stayed with him, and also, he guessed, to comfort her. She said nothing.

When they reached her rooms, they entered and stopped. "Err…I better go, it's almost midnight."

"Yeah, you can take the tunnel, it's quicker."

"Okay." Neither moved.

"Um, if anyone found you here, we could get in a lot of trouble."

"Yeah, I should really go." As one, they looked down to their hands, which were still entwined. Reluctantly, they dropped the embrace. "Okay." He put the cloak on the back of her sofa and looked around, as if he was struggling with something.

He stepped forwards and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Goodnight." He flushed red and left.

Draco entered his common room and kicked the sofa. He had never been more scared in all his life then when he found Hermione in the clutches of Alfie. She had looked so helpless; he'd wanted to kill Alfie. In that second he'd felt so powerfully possessive over her that he knew that he would have risked his life for her.

What was happening to him? Was he finally being affected by the spell? He didn't think so; he didn't feel any different then usual, just…thinking about Hermione a little more. He certainly wasn't going to run about after her with a pitchfork forcing her to go out with him.

What was going on with him? He had kissed her! Not as a joke! Okay, calm down, you're just being influenced by the fact that all these people are worshipping her.

One easy way to stop this crazy obsession. Avoid her, avoid her totally until she breaks the spell then get back with Pansy. Simple, she had what she needed to break the spell now, all he had to do was stay away from her.

Feeling a little better about himself, he went to bed.

Hermione shrank into a wall. Alfie was advancing fast; there was nowhere to go nowhere to hide. She could hear the rest of the school shouting for her to face them outside the door. Alfie laughed at her, and slammed her up against the wall. "Come one, Hermione. Let's have some fun."

"NO! Please, get off me I want you to let me go, please!" She reached out for her wand, which was lying about two metres away from her, on the floor.

"Get off her!" Malfoy came running into the room. He kicked Alfie in the head, and then proceeded to pummel him in the stomach, until he fell unconscious.

Hermione collapse into his arms, crying. "Oh my god, Hermione are you alright?" He lifted her chin so he could look into his eyes. "I've never been so scared in my life." He was crying too. Holding her close, he whispered "I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again." He kissed her hair. "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione stared at him, surprised. Joy spread through her heart as he leaned in to kiss her.

Just before their lips met a flash of white light erupted and they looked about the room, which was slowly fading. "No." Draco stared at her frantically. "The dream can't end yet."

"How do you know this is a dream?" Hermione looked at him. "Draco, is that really you?"

"Hermione?" He looked at her horrified.

Hermione woke up. That was a strange dream, Malfoy saving her life then proclaiming his love for her. Very strange indeed. What was stranger was that he knew it was a dream, had they been in the same dream? Or did dream people know what they were?

She sat up, and noticed that there was someone else in the room with her. Her heart beat fast, hadn't Draco kissed her last night? Was he becoming affected by the spell? Hadn't he said not to be so sure he wasn't like Alfie? Had he sneaked into her room to try and have his way with her? Why didn't she hate the idea? Who would save her now? These questions flashed in a second, and she realised that who ever it was in the chair had not moved, but was watching her. She took out her wand and lit the torches in the room to see who it was. It was Dean.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She said. He was sitting in the chair watching her. His eyes were red from crying. For a second, she wondered how he got into her rooms, but remembered that he had the password because all prefects had every password except those that allowed access to the rooms of other houses.

"You're not allowed in here." She told him coldly. "Get out. How dare you come here."

"Hermione…" Dean said. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"You dumped me, remember?" She answered coldly. "You dumped me so you could go and make out with that tramp Padma Patil."

"I'm sorry." He said, "it was all such a terrible mistake." She could see the tears brimming in his eyes as he said this. "I've been miserable without you, I want you back."

Hermione watched him through narrow eyes, and thought that she could not despise someone more.

"That thing with Padma…" he went on. "I was being crazy, obviously weak because I had to end it with you; you know she's been after me."

"Well, she has you now." Hermione summoned her dressing gown over to her and carefully wrapped herself in it before getting out of bed. She didn't want him to see her in her nightdress.

"Hermione…please…" Dean said.

"Don't Hermione me!" She said. "You lost that privilege too. You and I both know that you dumped me for Padma because you thought Padma would put out? What's the matter? Didn't she?" Hermione knew that Dean was under the spell, but she didn't care, she wanted to hurt him as badly as he had hurt her.

"Maybe that was the reason." He admitted. "But in a way it was a good thing." Dean got up off of the chair and approached her. "It made me realise how much I love you." He took her hand. "Hermione, that term we went out was the best time of my life, please take me back."

Hermione ripped her hand away, wanting to hex and jinx him until he was just a smudge on the floor.

"If you didn't get the message." She said, trying to be as spiteful as she could. "I already have a boyfriend."

"What?" Dean said. Hermione sighed. Perhaps he had skipped that meal when the riot happened, although she was sure that the news would have spread around the school by now.

"Draco Malfoy and I are together." She snapped.

"That's not true." Dean snorted. "You're just making that up to hurt me."

"No, I'm not." Hermione insisted. "It's true. He found me crying when I saw you and Padma at Hogsmeade and it all started from there." Technically, it was true.

"I see." Dean said. There was a strange light in his eye, one Hermione had never seen before. "Don't think that's going to stop me, Hermione. I know that you feel the same way about me, I'm not going to stop trying to make it up to you."

"It won't work." She told him.

"Hermione, I'm not going to rest until you're mine again." He told her, and then left, leaving Hermione feeling a little shaken.

She got dressed and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Just before she got to the reception hall, a hand grabbed her and pulled her down a corridor. "The teachers have decided that it wouldn't be a good idea for you to be seen with the whole school, given their affection for you." Dumbledore's eye twinkled. "Any luck solving the spell yet?"

"You know about the spell?" Hermione said, shocked and delighted. "Can you help me?"

"I'm afraid, this is one of life's little tests, and you will just have to work it out for yourself." She nodded, and he let her to a little room, where a meal was waiting for her. "Enjoy your meal, Miss Granger." He smiled and winked at her, before leaving. Deflating visibly, she slumped onto her chair. She had sincerely hoped Dumbledore would be able to help her; but it seemed it would have to be up to her. Between the confusion of Draco's kiss and Dean's unexpected arrival in her bedroom this morning, she had not had time to study the book she stole from Pansy, and she was damned if she was going to miss classes because of that wretch. No, she would solider on until lunch, and then she would go back and try to make sense of it all.

She sat and chewed her toast thoughtfully. Dreams of Draco. Could anything be more disgustingly horrifying? The last four years all he had done was insult her and her friends, almost get them all expelled on regular occasions and humiliate her in front of the entire school. All that had stopped her killing him was her friends. Now, all that stopped her friends killing her was Malfoy. He had also saved her from one of his own cronies. She contemplated this thought over some pumpkin juice. It was refreshing, having somewhere quiet and private to order your thoughts.

The whole Dean thing had shaken her worst. He seemed crazed, like all the others, but in a different way. The quiet, dangerous sort of way that got things done. She was scared, hurt and confused by this, and it made her angry.

But Draco's kiss…what had that meant? Dean she could put down to the spell, but Draco wasn't affected…or was he? She sighed and drained her orange juice, trying to forget the softness of his lips. It was impractical to think about it. But what if it was real? What if he did feel for her? What would she do then? Did she feel the same way? Did she not? Would she feel differently when she got her old life back?

"Ah!" She said to herself quietly, clutching her head. She couldn't think about it now, just get through until lunch and then we can be done with it.

After breakfast, her thoughts of Draco were totally thrown from her mind, as she remembered what lesson she had next. Double potions.

She shivered as she made her way down to the dungeons. For one thing, Malfoy would be there, and she didn't want to see him yet, she was still so confused. For another, she hadn't been in close quarters with Snape since detention. She sighed, and kept her wand out, daring someone to come near her, she could really do with someone to hex, right about now.


	9. Chapter 9

Just a quick note…the LOTR thingy is purely a random sequence of events that my brother put in because he read this decided to pep it up. It has no relevance at all to anything, but I thought it was funny and probably the most creative thing he's ever done with his life so I kept it in.

Chapter Nine 

Her wish was not granted, as she managed to get to the dungeon without seeing a soul, apart from Peeves, who dumped a dozen roses, dirt and all, on her head. She sighed as she cleaned her clothes with a spell, it seemed not even the ghosts were immune to the spell.

Her heart thumped as she approached the corridor. It was the first time she had gone out in public since the whole thing came to a head in the Great Hall and she had announced her love for Malfoy. She was unsure how they were going to take it, but it would probably go one of two ways, either there would be another riot, or she would get the silent treatment from the entire school. She prayed for the latter, and thankfully, at least for now, her prayers were answered.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors glared at her, she reckoned they were probably upset that she was 'going steady' with Malfoy. She seriously regretted that joke now; it just made the whole thing more confusing. Malfoy was there already, Crabbe and Goyle seemed to have forgiven him and they were talking unconcernedly a little way down the hall on the opposite side of the corridor. Some of the students were throwing venom looks his way as well, but none said anything. She half hoped half dreaded that he would come over to her, but he didn't. He didn't even register her as being there. This just served to make her more confused. Was he affected by the spell or not?

Harry and Ron seemed to bee particularly annoyed with her, and she could not blame them. She could see how upset they were, Ron was glaring at the wall like hoping to set it alight, and Harry looked as if he was about to set himself on fire. Hermione tried not to be too hurt, by supper she hoped everything would go back to normal.

Snape swept out of the classroom and glared at them all in turn, as he got to Hermione, who was standing a little way away from the others, he snapped, "get inside," and they all filed in.

"Today we are going to be doing love potions, this will be done in pairs." He read out a list of pre-prepared pairs, girls to boys. Hermione's hand shot up. Snape closed his eyes in annoyance at anyone asking him a question, but opened then and gave her a sickly sweet smile. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Sir, you haven't given me a partner." She looked all around the room at the partners moving to sit next to each other.

"I know that, Miss Granger. It has come to my attention that you are the best in the class, and putting you with one of these idiots will only encourage them to get good grades for your work." His smile became a little toothier. "You, Miss Granger, will work on love potions with me."

And then Gandalf, who was sitting nearest the door jumped up in protest and saw Snape scowling back at him. He leapt through the door and bumped into Aragorn, who had the hobbits on a lead. Legolas came to the aid and picked Gandalf off the floor while Gimli and Boromir looked on in distress.

Hermione looked on with an expression of bewilderment that can only come from two books merging and the appearance of a very annoying brother. Draco thought he was going to die from laughter.

After that disturbing episode played out, Snape advanced on Hermione, taking up the empty space next to her. Hermione shrank down in her chair, aware of everyone in the room, who were intently staring at her. Snape grinned evilly and waved his wand, ingredients flashed up on the board and he passed Hermione the toad sweat.

Hermione looked from the ingredient in her hand, to the incarceration of evil sitting next to her, and stole a small glance at Draco, who quickly looked ahead to his potion. Sighing, she set to work.

"Now, this potion should only work for a few hours, but it should be enough." He grinned at Hermione, who was staring at the blue liquid in her hand. "Drink, Hermione, or I'll fail you."

Weighing up the two alternatives, falling in love with Snape and failing a lesson, she quickly drained the vial and everyone gasped. Snape's eyes narrowed in victory. "Good girl." He drank his as well, and watched for a change in her being. Hermione stood there blinking at him. The other members of the class began to smile at their partners, all but Draco who was looking at Milicent a little afraid.

Hermione felt the potion cool as it went down, and she looked at Snape, a little afraid. What did he have in mind? He was watching her intently, his smile becoming wider and wider. She looked to Draco for help. He looked helplessly back as Milicent approached him. Snape saw the exchange and his eyes widened.

"Did the spell not work, Granger?" Snape asked, shocked. "Do you feel…any different towards me?" Hermione blinked and shook her head. "Hmm, the potion was correct, I made it myself, and there is only one circumstance that can make a person immune to the potion." He turned to Draco, who was holding Milicent at arms length, and nodded. "I thought so." He strode up to the front of the class and shouted. "Alright, class dismissed, try not to get into trouble for the next few hours. Malfoy, detention."

Draco looked up, horrified. "Why?"

"Because you are obviously not influenced by your potion, therefore your potion was made incorrectly and I will punish you." Draco made a noise of outrage as the others walked out of the room, arm in arm, cooing love words at each other. Hermione took this recess in their obsession with her to escape to her common room and read Pansy's book.

It was also nice to get away from Draco again. What did Snape mean 'only one circumstance'? Was it tied to the fact that Draco kissed her? How was Draco getting on with trying to deflect Milicent's advances? Was he trying to deflect her advances? She had lost a lot of weight and although she still wasn't pretty, Draco did admit to being a sex fiend, didn't he? Isn't that what he said when he rescued her from Alfie?

Argh, Argh, Argh. Everything was so damned complicated now. Why the hell did Pansy do this? The idiot, how in the world would this stop her and Draco getting together, if they were already involved anyway. What the hell was happening to her?

She grabbed Pansy's book moodily from where it had slipped from her fingers and stormed to her room. She'd find that goddamned spell if it took her the rest of the day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten 

Hermione tapped the book and muttered an incantation. The book flipped to the hate spell that Pansy had last used from the book. Hermione clenched her fist in victory and began to read the page hungrily, as well as the warning at the bottom of the page, the very one that Pansy had so foolishly ignored.

"Well, a mile area is right." Hermione said to herself. "So, she did a spell on me to make Draco hate me. But the spell backfired and made everyone love me. How does that work? She sat crossed legged on her bed and stroked a strand of hair thoughtfully. Just then, she heard the noise of a door opening, a few seconds later there were footsteps up the stairs, but she was too lost in thought to care. A moment later, Draco appeared. She looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Milicent is still following me around, the potion hasn't worn off yet. I couldn't get rid of her so when she went into the bathroom to 'freshen up' I escaped via the secret passage. Thought I would hang out here a while." He looked around suspiciously. "Is Snape here? Because if he is, I could just leave." He smirked.

"No, he isn't. The potion didn't work on me." She said, and he climbed onto and stretched himself out on her bed. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. She hid her feelings of jubilation well, she thought. He hadn't decided to take advantage of Milicent, and instead decided to come and see her! But wait, was that a bad or good thing. She shook her head and turned back to the book.

"Come on, Granger, you're all I got until you sort out this fiasco." Hermione shrugged and lay down, so her feet were on the pillow, leafing through the book she was reading. "What's that?"

"The solution to the problem." He tried to take the book from her, but she slammed it shut and slid it out of his reach. She didn't want him to find out until she was sure what they were dealing with. "I wonder why the potion didn't affect us." Hermione whispered, looking into his eyes. "I mean, everyone else is now madly in love with their partners, I mean, who knows what they are doing, I hate to think what will happen when it wears off." Draco smirked at the thought. "But, you're not in love with Milicent, are you?"

"Let me think…" Draco looked up at her canopy for a second. "No." He smirked again.

"Why did you have to think about it?" Hermione asked, amused.

"Why? Jealous?" He smirked again, and Hermione once again turned back to the book, not even giving him the satisfaction of knowing that she didn't know how to answer.

"Let me see." Draco whined, trying to grab the book from her again. Hermione held the book high above her head, and Draco sighed, giving up the game, and lying back down.

"Well, I know what happened at last." She opened the book and chose the page, holding it so Draco couldn't see what was on the page. "Pansy tried to cast a spell to make you hate me."

"But I do hate you." Hermione raised her eyebrow at the boy, lying on her bed and looking totally at ease. Draco shrugged. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, like befriending you." He tried to snatch the book from her hand again but she was wise to him.

"Anyway, Stupid bitch was supposed to put Harbitrate Grevane into the potion, I'm guessing she put Harbitrate Grevene in. Harbitrate Grevane and Harbitrate Grevene are sister herbs, one encompassing the properties of hate, the other love."

"So she did a spell on me to make me hate you, but it turned into a love spell, still directed at me." Hermione nodded as Draco summed up the entire plot. "But the potion backfired and made everyone except me love you. That makes no sense; the spell couldn't possibly be strong enough to do that. Then there's the whole episode in the potions lab, we were the only ones not affected by it, do you think the two are connected." Hermione stared at Draco for a while, pondering something. "What?"

"I wasn't affected either…" Hermione thought. "I didn't fall in love with Snape."

"So?"

"Well, he punished you for it, like it was your fault that his plan backfired…"

"Yes, I have to wash his underwear." Draco stuck his tongue out in disgust at the thought.

"But why?"

"I don't know…" Draco said, getting a little annoyed. Hermione picked up the book again and leafed through it thoughtfully.

"It's got to be in here somewhere." She checked the index for love spells and found the right page. "Here we are." Then she read aloud:

"_If a love spell is corrupted in some way, or the desired affect is already present, then the spell may rebound and hit any of the surrounding people._"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco asked, grabbing the book. Hermione let it slip through her fingers and he read it carefully. "Is this what happened to me?"

"Well, if it did…"

"Then what?"

"Nothing." Draco watched her for a second, as she sat biting her lip, then pitched forward and kissed her passionately. She returned it eagerly, running her fingers thorough his hair, but suddenly she pushed him away, and he sat back, slightly annoyed.

"What?" Draco moved slightly closer to her and ran his fingers though her hair. "You want this too." Hermione shook her head

"I think you may be under the influence of Pansy's Potion." Hermione told him.

"Am I?"

"I'm not sure. Until I am, please stop kissing me the whole time please. I mean, a second ago you said you hated me."

"I do hate you." He said automatically. "That doesn't mean I don't want to kiss you."

"Right." Hermione shook her head, and turned to continue her pacing. "All we have to do is get the locket that would have been made as a result and reverse the effect."

"How do we do that?" Hermione nodded.

"Not sure yet." Draco nodded, his heart thudding against his chest. Feeling the sudden urge to be away from Hermione, he stood.

"I'm sure Milicent has left by now." Hermione nodded, and Draco left.

Hermione watched him go with a sick feeling in her stomach. None of this made sense. She didn't love him, she couldn't. He couldn't love her either, but it seemed, what did it seem? She didn't even know anymore. She threw the book onto the floor and sighed heavily.

"Hermione…" A voice made her look, Draco was back.

It wasn't. It was Dean, and the look in his eyes filled her with terror.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all the reviews, but sadly a full time job running a bar prevents me having the time to reply to them. It also explains why I'm on the internet at quarter to two in the morning updating this fic when I've got to be up at 8 tomorrow.

Well, here is the next chapter, completely revamped from what it was, because I've extended the story and changed the ending from the ending I wrote for this fic about a year ago. Yes, I admit it, I wrote this story a long time ago and sheer not having enough time and forgetfulness made it impossible for me to put it up on until now (you think I can update so fast from scratch?). Anyway, enjoy, and tell me what you think about the new, darker, twist in the plot (I'm open to suggestions of where to go next!).

Chapter Eleven 

Draco almost ran down the secret passage to his own room. That was completely unexpected. Why did he kiss her AGAIN? As soon as he got to his side of the passage, he checked to see if Milicent was there, but the spell had obviously worn off, and Milicent had gone back to her common room. He checked the time, and saw that he would not have time to go to lunch today, which was fine by him; he couldn't think of anything less he'd like to be doing than eating. Hell, why not take the rest of the day off? He thought to himself. Save himself from seeing Hermione until she'd broken the spell. He sure as hell wasn't going to see her again unless it was from across a classroom. The whole thing was too complicated now.

What the hell had he been thinking? He jumped onto his sofa, in the blessed safety of his own world and squeezed his eyes shut. He'd now kissed Hermione twice. The first time he had credited with the whole Alfie thing, and the whole being-nice-to-Pansy thing. What was he doing kissing her again? What did she mean he was under the spell? She was the only one not trying to kill him now, apart from Pansy, and, hell, Pansy was annoying even when she wasn't moaning after some Gryffindor she cast a spell on. Where else was he supposed to go?

Was he under the spell? Did it become corrupted? It was more than likely, Pansy wasn't bright, and she'd already messed it up completely with the whole love/hate thing. It's the only thing that would have happened. He didn't know what this whole desired effect thing was all about. Perhaps it meant that Pansy did the spell right, but he hated Hermione already, so it bounced off him and became corrupted and affected everyone. Yeah, that's what happened.

But what happened when he was talking to Pansy? Why had he suddenly become all defensive to Hermione? Something had changed when he was talking to Pansy, some sort of shift in his feelings. He'd always thought of his feelings towards Pansy as akin to those of the Stockholm syndrome. If someone hangs around you, refusing to leave you alone for a second, you've got to start liking them a little, haven't you? Maybe that's what was happening with him and Hermione. They were spending all their time together, but hadn't he said he was going to avoid her? He had Milicent in his rooms, begging for it, and not looking as repulsive as she used to, in fact, perhaps looking quite good, and he'd run at the first opportunity to Hermione. What the hell was that all about?

His thoughts were going around in circles. The thought that was thinking about his thoughts going around in circles were going around in circles. He shook his head to dislodge the confusion on his brain and stood up, jumping up and down to dispel all the adrenaline and…other hormones that were still running high after that kiss.

"At least when she's worked out how the break the spell." He thought aloud. "Then this will be all over." He wandered into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. He was used to his new hair now, but the expression on his face was a new one. He inspected it, but it gave him no clues to what he was really feeling. "How can I be affected by the spell? I don't feel any different." He checked his emotions, and found that all his other feelings had stayed the same, it was just the one relating to Hermione that had ever-so-slightly changed.

"No, not changed." He thought a loud. Surprised at hearing this statement coming from his own mouth, he suddenly knew it was true. His feelings for Hermione hadn't changed, they were still the same as ever. He had always loved her…

He had no time to reflect on this thought, as he heard the door from her room open, and he wandered out to see what she was doing. She seemed to be moving his sofa across the tapestry behind which the door was hid, she didn't even look up when he came in.

"Help me, Draco, this sofa is heavy!"

"What are you doing here?" He grabbed the other end and they placed it front of the tapestry.

"It was terrible." She said, and he saw that she was almost entirely broken down. For the first time, he saw that her robe was ripped in two places, exposing her navel and shoulder. Her hair was messed up and she was crying.

"What happened?" This question was answered in part by the sound of many people trying to break down the door. Draco raised his wand, "_Nieloco_ _pas_." He whispered, and then looked to Hermione.

"Dean has been following me around of late." Hermione said, making her way shakily to an armchair and almost falling into it. "You know I told you that we were dating, and then he dumped me for Padma Patil."

"Of course I remember." Draco said, pulling up another chair to hers and sitting in it.

"Well, he's been watching me sleep and saying that he wants me back and stuff." Draco knew she was stalling because she didn't want to say what had happened. Anger bubbled up inside him, and he almost wished that Dean could get in here, so that he could pound him into sludge.

"What did he do to you?" Draco asked firmly. "Hermione, just tell me."

Before she could answer, a pounding noise caused Hermione to slide off her chair and onto the floor. She held her hands to her ears as the sound of heavy fists pounded the door.

"We know you're in there." Said the gruff voice of Alfie Flint.

Hermione whimpered and crawled away from the door, sinking into a corner. Draco followed her and knelt in front of her, pushing her hair from her eyes and wiping her tears from her cheeks.

"They followed me here; I tried to get away, but…" She trailed off as the door took another beating.

"It's okay, I cast a solid door charm on the door, they can hit it till kingdom come and it won't break." Hermione nodded and another voice behind the door became coherent.

"Maybe she went over to Draco's, seeing as they're going steady," said a voice full of spite, Dean's, and many voices raised with agreement.

"What happened?" Draco asked, taking advantage of the short reprieve of attack. He pointed his wand at the main door to his rooms and cast the solid door charm again, so that they were safe, he then hit them with a silencing spell for her nerves.

"After you left, I was just reading the book, trying to find a reversal spell." Hermione told him calmly. She was still shrunk into the corner, and the sight of her so scared and small made him feel sick. Only hours ago she was in complete control of her strength. He would never have believed that she could transform so utterly so quickly. "Dean arrived…I thought he was you, so I didn't move and he came right into the bedroom." She sounded so disgusted with herself, and Draco found himself welling with rage and angst at the thought of what he could have done to her. She seemed not to be able to speak, so he gently led her back to the armchair, where he knelt in front of her and took her hand encouragingly.

"Go on." He said.

"Well," she said, taking a shaky breath in, "He was insane." She said fearfully. "He kept jabbering on about following me and seeing me with you and love potions. I was scared, but when I reached for my wand he called it to him threw it by the wall. I tried to run, but he caught me and threw me on the bed. He told me not to cry out, because he had friends that would come and hurt me. I bit him and he screamed and then I kicked him and whilst he was in shock I ran downstairs, I made for the passage, to go to you, but I ran into Dean's 'friends'.

"That would be where Alfie fits in." Draco nodded, he'd been wondering how Alfie fit into all of this.

"Yeah." Hermione said. "Crabbe and Goyle were there too." Draco swore loudly. "So where some other Slytherins. It seems that Dean had promised that he would share me." Hermione trailed off in disgust at this point.

"I see." Draco said. "And they attacked you."

"Yeah." Hermione said. "I was lucky; they didn't know about the secret passage, and were concentrating on keeping me away from the main door, so when I got the chance I ran, and they weren't far behind me…"

Draco could think of nothing to say. He stroked her hair to try and comfort her, and he saw that she was trying to keep herself from hysterics. He spoke soft words of comfort to her, wanting desperately for her to be alright, but knowing that she wasn't. He looked into her eyes and his heart melted at the utter panic in them still. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she pitched forward, crying into his chest, sliding off the chair until they were both kneeling on the floor, Hermione crying desperately into his robes and Draco with his arms around her.

"What am I going to do, Draco?" She said, after the racking sobs lifted. She sat back on her heels and looked at him. "I can never go back to classes."

"You can." He said, holding her face in his hands. "You can. It's all just a spell." He reminded her. "We just need to get the locket and then reverse the effects and then it's all gone."

"Draco, you're the only one I can trust." She said, touching his hands on her cheeks. "You saved my life." He saw her eyes drift to his lips, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and take her away from the pain, but it was taking advantage of her. He didn't know how she felt about him, and he damn sure wasn't going to mess with her anymore than she'd already been messed with. He took his hands from her cheeks and leaned back. Hermione deflated visibly at this movement, but he knew that she was in a bad place, and she didn't know what she wanted.

"Look, you're going to stay here tonight." Draco said. "It's safe here. No one is going to get in unless I want them too." Hermione sighed and nodded. "I'll get some you some food, it's approaching dinner time now, I guess, so I'll just get some sent up, then we will both get some sleep and decide what to do in the morning."

"Okay." Hermione said in a small voice.

"I think we should get you into some better clothes." Draco said, looking once more at the ripped areas of her robes. "Perhaps you'd like a bath?" He asked, and she nodded.

"The bathroom is upstairs." He told her. "In the same place yours is." She nodded and climbed the stairs to go and bathe.

Draco laid out a T shirt and a dressing gown out on the bed for when she got out of the bathroom. He didn't have anything else of his that would fit her. He figured she'd need sleep and she could sleep in his shirt. Then he saw to some food being sent up and got it ready on the table downstairs.

He tended to these small things calmly and methodically, and all the while the blood boiled in his veins with the knowledge that very soon he'd be having words with a certain Dean Thomas.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's been I think about three years since I last updated this story. I apologise. I will continue to write it and update it and hopefully finish it before I'm thirty! Please tell me what you think about this chapter as I lost the storyline I was working on and I'm writing it again from scratch. I sort of know where I was going though, heh.**

Draco watched Hermione sleep in his bed from the doorway. At least the bath seemed to have calmed her down and the food put a little colour back in her cheeks. He thought they would have an argument about who was sleeping on the bed and who was on the sofa, but Hermione just seemed completely drained, almost ghost-like, and went to sleep in his bed without even a second word.

He was still conflicted. He wanted to kill them for this. Dean, Alfie, Crabbe and Goyle. All of them. He didn't know whether he was going to be able to let her out of this room, whether she could be out of his sight from now until this stupid spell had been broken. That powerfully possessive feeling he had when he saw her with Alfie had multiplied and stuck, to the point that he was standing in the doorway watching her sleep, his more gentlemanly attitudes not actually allowing him into the room.

He hated himself too, because if this had happened only a few weeks ago, he would have probably found it _funny_. It sickened him, but he couldn't deny it. She would have been the target for so many jokes that he would have snickered about behind her back and rude comments he would have said to her face.

But that was…but it was all because he liked her? Or was that the spell? He left her asleep there, and walked downstairs, warming himself by the fire. His thoughts had made him feel cold. He put his feelings to one side; this wasn't going to help the situation. When he was sure that Hermione was asleep he closed and silenced the door to his room, and then lifted the silencing charms from the main door. It was a lot quieter, but when he pressed his ear to the door he could hear shuffling, like someone was keeping watch on both doors. He silenced them again and re-opened the bedroom door for when Hermione awoke.

Right, so there was a locket, and they had to find the locket to get the spell reversed and, well Pansy would have the locket. So first things first they needed to get to Pansy. Except now that everyone was trying to rape Hermione and probably going to try and kill him, so going out anywhere visible was probably a bad idea. The cloak was in Hermione's room, so that was probably the first port of call.

Draco didn't know how many people would be flooding Hermione's room, but he had to try and get that cloak, it would be the only way to Pansy.

He lifted the silence charm on the door to the secret passage once again and listened. He was pretty sure there were two people there, but it sounded like they were getting pretty tired. He kept hearing yawning, and then someone spoke.

"I don't think she's coming out." That was Crabbe. Maybe some good luck for once.

"I'm hungry." _Goyle._ Draco grinned. He took the blocking charm off of the door and swept out.

"What are you two idiots doing here?" He asked them coldly, putting the blocking and silence charm back on the door as he went through. "You're taking orders from a Gryffindor now?"

"You're sleeping with one." Crabbe said petulantly. Draco glared at him.

"How dare you." He hissed. "You know you're not allowed to talk about girls around me." He wrinkled his nose. "It's disgusting, thinking of you talking about a girl." It was working, they were confused, and he was treating them like he always had done, they were listening. "Go to the Great Hall and eat breakfast. I've got no need for you here." He dismissed them with a sniff. They looked at each other and shrugged, heading off down the passage. He waited for them to get a little ahead of him, hoping that their overriding desire to stuff themselves would take president over any other desire as it always had done. After a few minutes he started to follow.

Crabbe and Goyle were talking about what they were going to have for breakfast all the way through the passage, and were still discussing honey vs. jam when they got into Hermione's room. He heard them decide to try both at once on toast and go onto discussing muffins vs. bagels as they left heading towards the hall. Draco shook his head. Hermione's living room was deserted, and the cloak was still on the back of the sofa. He lifted it carefully and then he heard a noise upstairs. He walked upstairs to find Dean Thomas in Hermione's bedroom, lying on her bed. Her underwear drawer was open, and Draco's stomach twisted at the sick lengths this boy was going to. He carefully put the cloak down and cracked his knuckles. Spell or no spell, he was going to sort this out. Now.

***

Hermione woke up from a dreamless sleep feeling refreshed. She wasn't in her own bed, but it only took her a few minutes to gather up the information that retraced her steps to this point. She was wearing Draco's oversized T-shirt, and their scents were mingled in the fabric. She brought it up to her nose and inhaled deeply, taking comfort in the familiar smell. She felt safe here, and she sorely needed to feel safe at the moment. Was this a new phase of the spell? Would it just escalate until they had killed her or themselves? Would Draco escalate too? Would he be trying to rape her soon?

She got up and examined her robe. Her wand was back in her room, so she couldn't fix it. The T-Shirt went down to her knees, but she slipped on the dressing gown that Draco had left her too, just in case he was starting to be affected. She didn't want to give him any temptation, and also…it was weird being all unclothed near Draco. She wasn't sure about him yet. Was he affected by the spell? She hoped not, because she was starting to feel…no. She shook her head. There was no way she'd go down that road. If she started to feel for him and then they reversed the spell and he went back to…she wouldn't tolerate it. She would just have to keep him at a little bit of a distance.

There were no noises anywhere, and Hermione began to wonder where he was. Swaddled in the robe, she picked her way carefully down the stairs, the living room was empty and the door to the bathroom was open, revealing there was no Draco in there.

Where was he? Panic started to grip her again. Did they get in? Were they hurting him? Just as the thoughts passed through her brain, Draco came in through the secret door, holding the cloak, her wand and a change of clothes, nursing a split lip.

"I suggest you don't go out there." He told her when he saw she was awake, casting the blocking charm on the door. "They're still angry."

"Draco, what happened?" She ran over to examine his lip.

"I ran into an old friend." He said darkly.

"Where?" She asked, were they still in her room?

"Your underwear drawer." Draco told her. "Don't worry, it was a lucky shot for him, he came off a lot worse, that violent raping bastard." He muttered under his breath as she touched his lip and he winced. "I brought you some stuff, I didn't think you'd want to be in my T-shirt forever, and I saw your wand on your bedside table." He dumped all the stuff on the sofa.

"I'll get you some ice. I'm not as good as Madame Pomfrey at healing things." She took up her wand and went into the bathroom, freezing some tap water, wrapping it in a hand towel and bringing it back. He was sitting on the sofa. She sat next to him, drawing her legs underneath her and dabbing his lip. It was swollen, and she saw that a dark bruise was starting to colour around his eye. She switched to dabbing that and he sighed.

"Yeah, well, he came off a lot worse." He assured her. "Who knew that muggle born could throw a punch."

"Hey I'm a muggle born." She reminded him gently, although she noticed he refrained from using the word 'mudblood' so she let him off. He was trying.

"You alright?" He asked, watching her with soft eyes.

"Yeah." She mumbled, looking away from him and down to the floor. After a second she hopped off the sofa. "So I'll go and change and we can come up with a plan."

***

Draco pressed the ice to his face whilst she was gone. His face hurt a lot. That bastard Thomas could hit _hard, _but it was more than that. He was crazed, insane and that lent him strength. Draco had bested him, and he'd probably beaten him for a little longer then was necessary, but he did clear him out of Hermione's room and put the security on her door. He'd known how to change passwords since the third year, and he knew Hermione's old password, so it had been easy. No more late night visitors, he'd also reinforced the door to make it really safe.

So, now they had two safe rooms and a corridor between them. They had a locket that was STILL in the Slytherin common room, but at least they had the cloak. This was good, this was better. Hermione seemed better today, which was good because it broke his heart seeing her so broken.

She came back in the skirt and spaghetti strap top he'd picked out. She smiled at him.

"You pick clothes well." She told him.

"Yeah, well, they were on top." He told her grumpily. She did look nice, nicer than her usual jeans and a jumper. He regretted those clothes now, he wished he'd picked out something frumpier. Oh well, he'd just have to deal with it.

"What's the plan?" She flopped back down on the sofa next to him.

"I guess I've got to go back and talk to Pansy." Draco said.

"Under the cloak we go." Hermione said. "Let's just get this done."

"You aren't coming." Draco blinked. "I'm doing this myself."

"I'm not staying here on my own." Hermione scoffed. "We're going together or not at all, they might break those doors down and then where will I be? Knee deep in psycho boys trying to rape me."

"You're right." Draco realised that he really couldn't let her out of his sight again. "Let's go so we can finish this and get back to our normal lives." He didn't know whether he would be able to, even if he went back to hating her…he'd still have the memories. Without looking at her, he pulled the cloak over both of them.


End file.
